SMSF borrowing ban for residential property starts today: what it means for builders
Self-managed super funds can no longer take out new limited recourse loans to buy residential property. Existing loans are grandfathered and commercial property is unaffected. Here is what changes for builders who sell to investors.
6 min read
The PointCPD blog
Building industry news and articles
What is changing in Australian building, and what it means on site: construction technology, materials, energy, regulation, safety, contracts and the housing market.
SMSF borrowing ban for residential property starts today: what it means for builders
Self-managed super funds can no longer take out new limited recourse loans to buy residential property. Existing loans are grandfathered and commercial property is unaffected. Here is what changes for builders who sell to investors.
6 min read
When to notify SafeWork NSW about a site incident
Notification is a decision you make in the first hour, usually with incomplete information, while the scene still needs controlling. Get the trigger and the immediate duties right and the rest of the response follows from them.
11 min read
Steel vs timber framing: cost, speed, termites, thermal bridging and what goes wrong with each
Most Australian houses are framed in timber, but light-gauge steel has a loyal following. An honest comparison of cost, speed, performance and the defects each material is prone to.
9 min read
Falls from height: why they still kill builders, and the controls that actually work on houses
Most falls on residential sites happen from roofs, frames, ladders and unprotected voids, often at modest heights. What the law requires, and the controls that prevent them on real jobs.
9 min read
Building defect liability and insurance: what NSW builders actually need to cover
Defect liability is a legal exposure; insurance is how you transfer part of it. The two only line up if you read the policy against the defects you actually build, and manage the job so a defect never becomes a claim.
12 min read
3D printed houses in Australia: what has been built, what it costs, and what is still unproven
Australia now has 3D printed homes with occupation certificates, social housing printed in weeks, and a multi-storey printed house in Melbourne. How the technology works, and what a builder should believe about the claims.
9 min read
How to write a building variation that gets signed and paid (NSW rules included)
Variations are where good jobs go bad. A clear, signed, priced variation before the work starts is the single best protection a builder has. Here is how to write one, and what NSW requires.
9 min read
Technology your apprentices will actually use on site
Most site software fails not because it is the wrong tool but because the people holding it are standing in the sun with one hand free. Adoption is a design problem, and the tool-hand is the best test of it.
11 min read
Winter condensation in new homes: why it happens, how to diagnose it, and how to build it out
Every winter, builders get the same call: “there’s water on the windows and mould in the wardrobe.” Here is how to work out whether it is the house or how it is being lived in, and the details that stop it happening.
10 min read
Prefab and modular construction in Australia: how it works, what it costs and where it fails
Governments want more homes built in factories. From wall frames to complete modules, this is how prefabrication works, where it genuinely saves time, and the site interfaces that decide whether it succeeds.
9 min read
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery: getting the installation and commissioning right
A balanced heat recovery ventilation system is only as good as its installation. This covers duct routing, condensate, controls and the commissioning steps that keep it performing.
11 min read
NSW lays final groundwork for 10-year defects insurance on apartments
The Fair Trading and Building Legislation Amendment Bill has passed, giving insurers the certainty to bring 10-year defects cover for apartment buildings to market. It also toughens licensing and certifier discipline.
6 min read
NSW passes building approvals overhaul and Australia’s first laws for prefabricated homes
NSW Parliament has passed reforms that bring building approvals under one piece of legislation, recognise prefabricated buildings in law for the first time in Australia, and hit certifier conflicts of interest with fines up to $1.1 million.
6 min read
Free site templates for builders
SWMS, JSA, Take 5, inspection checklists, site diary, variations and payment claims. Word and PDF, free for commercial use.